Puzzle assembly with intersecting pieces

ABSTRACT

A puzzle formed from a block including several variously configured, interlocking unitary pieces which are slideable into and out of the block for assembly and disassembly. The pieces assemble into two intersecting cylinders within the block including a central piece which forms a part of both cylinders. The preferred method of forming the puzzle comprises cutting the cylinders by causing the instrument used for cutting to enter and exit the block along a single line for each cylinder.

United States Patent [191 Betzoldt [451 Aug. 13, 1974 PUZZLE ASSEMBLY WITH INTERSECTING PIECES [75] Inventor: Louis F. Betzoldt, Taylor, Mich.

[73] Assignee: Lance A. Neibauer, Wayne, Mich.

[22] Filed: June 20, 1973 [21] Appl. No.: 371,931

[52] US. Cl. 273/160, 83/32, 144/326 R [51] Int. Cl. A631 9/12 [58] Field of Search 273/160; 46/15 [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 343,516 6/1886 Collins et al 273/160 1,328,921 l/l920 Howe 273/160 UX D206,336 11/1966 Wilson 273/160 UX FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS I 1,094,446 12/1954 France "273/160 12/1924 France 46/15 8/1971 Great Britain 273/160 Primary Examiner-Anton O. Oechsle Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Price, Heneveld, Huizenga & Cooper [5 7] ABSTRACT A puzzle formed from a block including several variously configured, interlocking unitary pieces which are slideable into and out of the block for assembly and disassembly. The pieces assemble into two intersecting cylinders within the block including a central piece which forms a part of both cylinders. The preferred method of forming the puzzle comprises cutting the cylinders by causing the instrument used for cutting to enter and exit the block along a single line for each cylinder.

8 Claims, 37 Drawing Figures PUZZLE ASSEMBLY WITH INTERSECTING PIECES This invention relates to games and puzzles, and more particularly, to a puzzle requiring skill to assemble its several separate pieces into a complete block.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Games of skill in the form of puzzles have long been known. Typically, such puzzles are constructed from separate elements which may be variously glued, bonded, or otherwise secured together to form intricate pieces of varying configurations. The intricate pieces are assemblable in a defined pattern to form a recognizable whole. Such prior puzzles are not only expensive to manufacture but are often susceptible to breakage r fracture due to the great number of elements which must be secured together to form the individual pieces. Additionally, prior puzzles of this type have been difficult and tedious to manufacture because of their design which has been necessarily intricate to provide a challenge for the person attempting the assembly of the puzzle.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Accordingly, it is the purpose of the present invention to provide an intricate and challenging game or puzzle which requires skill on the part of a person attempting the assembly thereof. The puzzle includes provide a significant challenge for anyone attempting to reassemble the puzzle.

These and other objects, advantages, purposes and features of the invention will become more apparent from a study of the following description taken in conjunction with the drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of the puzzle of the present invention showing the assembly block and the individual puzzle pieces received therein;

FIG. 1A is a perspective view of several of the separate pieces assembled into one of the cylinders of the preferred embodiment;

FIG. 1B is a perspective view of all of the separate pieces assembled into the two, interlocking cylinders as they would appear when assembled completely within the assembly block;

FIG. 2 is a bottom view of the assembly block shown in FIG. 1 illustrating the two locations where cuts are made during manufacture of the puzzle in accordance with the present method;

several variously configured yet intricate, interlocking pieces, each of which is a unitary whole. Further, the puzzle may be quickly, easily and inexpensively manufactured by making only two saw or other cuts intoa block of material thereby obviating the tedious assembly previously required to fashion puzzles requiring skill for assembly. The result, therefore, is an inexpensive yet intricate and challenging game of skill which will provide hours of amusement.

The puzzle comprises an element or block having two sets of opposing external surfaces. Using a saw or other cutting tool, a cylinder, preferably having theshape of a closed involute, is cut into each set of surfaces such that the cylinder extends between the two surfaces. The external surfaces and cylinders are so located that the cylinders intersect one another thereby causing one of the puzzle pieces to be common to both cylinders.

In cutting each of the cylinders, the cut is started along a surface of the element or block separate from any of the external surfaces included within said two sets. A curve in the shape of a closed involute is followed by the cutting instrument, with the curve ending or closing at the point at which it began. Accordingly, the saw or cutting instrument is caused to exit from the block or element along the same line at which it entered the block. Therefore, in the preferred embodiment, the completed puzzle, including the assembly block or element and each of the separate pieces, will include only two locations on its external surface wherein the cutting instrument enters the block. These locations may be thereafter filled or adhered together to unify the assembly block after manufacture.

The resulting puzzle manufactured in accordance with this method includes two interlocking cylinders each having several variously configured pieces. Each of the pieces is slideably received in the assembly block. The resulting odd shapes of the various pieces FIG. 3 is a cross sectional, plan view of the assembly block excluding the separate puzzle pieces taken along Plane III--III of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary, perspective view of the sectioned assembly block shown in FIG. 3;

FIG. 5A is an end elevation of one of the separate puzzle pieces taken along Plane VA of FIG. 1;

FIG. 5B is a plan view of the piece shown in FIG. 5A taken along Plane VB of FIG. 1;

FIG. 6A is a side elevation of another puzzle piece taken along Plane VIAVIA of FIG. 1;

FIG. 6B is an end elevation of the piece shown in 6A taken along Plane VIBVIB of FIG. 1;

FIG. 6C is a plan view of the puzzle piece shown in FIG. 6A and 6B taken along Plane VIC-VIC of FIG.

FIG. 6D is an end elevation of the puzzle piece shown in FIGS. 6A-6C, taken opposite to that shown in FIG. 6B and along Plane VID-VID of FIG. 1;

FIG. 6E is a side elevation of the puzzle piece shown in FIGS. 6A-6D taken along Plane VIE-VIE of FIG. 1;

FIG. 7A is a side elevation of another puzzle piece taken along Plane VIIA-VIIA of FIG. 1;

FIG. 7B is an end elevation of the puzzle piece shown in FIG. 7A taken along Plane VIIB-VIIB of FIG. 1;

FIG. 7C is a plan view of the puzzle piece shown in FIGS. 7A and 7B taken along Plane VIIC-VIIC of FIG. 1;

' FIG. 8A is a side elevation of the puzzle piece common to both cylinders when the puzzle is assembled taken along Plane VIIIA-VIIIA of FIG. 1;

FIG. 8B is an end elevation of the common puzzle piece shown in FIG. 8A taken along Plane VIIIB- VIIIB of FIG. 1;

FIG. 8C is a plan view of the common puzzle piece shown in FIGS. 8A and 8B taken along Plane VllIC-VIIIC of FIG. 1;

FIG. 9A is an end elevation of yet another puzzle piece taken along Plane IXAIXA of FIG. 1;

FIG. 9B is a side elevation of the puzzle piece shown in FIG. 9A taken along Plane IXB-IXB of FIG. I;

' FIG. 9C is a plan view of the puzzle piece shown in FIGS. 9A and 9B taken along Plane IXC-IXC of FIG. .1;

FIG 9D is an end elevation of the piece of FIGS. 9A-9C taken along Plane IXD-IXD of FIG. 1;

FIG. 9E is a side elevation of the piece of FIGS. 9A-9D taken along Plane IXEIXE of FIG. 1;

FIG. 10A is a side elevation of yet another piece taken along Plane XAXA of FIG. 1;

FIG. 10B is a plan view of the puzzle piece shown in FIG. 10A taken along Plane XB-XB of FIG. 1;

FIG. 11A is an end elevation of yet another puzzle piece taken along Plane XIAXIA of FIG. 1;

FIG. 11B is an end elevation of the puzzle piece shown in FIG. 11A taken along Plane XIBXIB of FIG. 1;

FIG. 11C is a plan view of the puzzle piece shown in FIGS. 11A and 11B taken along Plane XIC-XIC of FIG. 1;

FIG. 12 is a perspective view of a block wherein a saw blade is used to cut a cylinder therein in accordance with the preferred method; and

FIG. 13 is a perspective view of a block wherein a saw blade is used to cut a cylinder therein in accordance with an alternative method.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring now to the drawings in greater detail, FIG. 1 shows the puzzle 10 of the present invention comprising an element of block 12 including external surfaces 14 through 24. In the preferred embodiment, block 12 comprises a solid cube of wood or other material which is easily cut with a saw or other instrument, the six external surfaces of the cube all being equivalent in size and disposed in planes at right angles to one another. As shown in FIG. 1, block 12 is the assembly block into which the variously configured separate pieces of the puzzle are slidably received during assembly. Originally, as will be more fully explained below, the separate pieces are preferably cut from the solid block resulting in the hollowed-out assembly element or block 12.

Extending between each of two external surfaces 14, I6 and 18, 20, which surfaces 14, 16 and 18, 20 generally oppose one another on the block, are two right cylinders and 40. Each cylinder, because of the intersecting cuts made during the manufacture of the puzzle from the solid block 12, includes several variously configured separate pieces 32, 34, 36 and 42, 44, 46 as shown in FIG. 1. One central piece 50 lies at the center of the two intersecting cylinders 30 and 40 when assembled and is thus common to both cylinders. FIGS. 1A and 1B illustrate cylinder 30 when assembled alone and the two cylinders 30 and 40 when assembled as they would appear within the assembly block 12.

As illustrated, each of the cylinders 30 and 40 has a right cross-sectional shape of a closed involute. This shape is best illustrated in FIG. 1 and the figures illustrating the end views of separate pieces 32, 36, 42, 46 and 50. Because of the interlocking nature of the cylinders and pieces, the various pieces have varying configurations which provide portions outlining the closed involute shape for each cylinder as illustrated in FIGS. 5-11. The common puzzle piece 50, because it must interlock with both cylinders 30 and 40, has the same involute shape when viewed from either its side or end as seen in FIGS. 8A and 8B.

To assemble the puzzle, one first inserts smaller piece 44 into corresponding shape aperture 52 in central piece 50 (FIGS. 1 and 8C). Thereafter, end pieces 32 and 36 are interlocked with the central piece 50 to form cylinder 30. Subsequently, cylinder 30 may be slideably received in aperture 60 extending between surfaces 18 and 20 in assembly block 12. (See FIGS. 1, 3 and 4.) Following the insertion of cylinder 36, smaller piece 34 is inserted in correspondingly shaped aperture 54 on piece 50 (FIGS. 1 and 8C) after which end pieces 42 and 46 may be slideably received in aperture 62 of assembly block 12 (FIGS. 1, 3 and 4). Cylindrical aperture 62 extends between surfaces 14 and 16 through the entire block 12. Both cylindrical apertures 60 and 62 have the shape of a closed involute corresponding to the cross-sectional shape of the cylinders 30 and 46. As will be seen from FIGS. 3 and 4, the space in which the two cylindrical apertures 60 and 62 intersect within block 12 forms an intricately configured open space within the block. An upstanding projection or pedestal 64 is located within the center of the intersecting space. Projection 64 includes an enlarged head 66 whose cross-sectional shape aligning with cylindrical apertures 60 and 62 corresponds to the shapes of apertures 52 and 54 respectively thereby allowing the central piece 50 to be passed thereover during assembly. Further, areas 43 and 47 of pieces 42 and 46 correspond to the shape of projections 68 (See FIGS. 98, 9E and 10A), while areas 33 and 37 of pieces 32 and 36 correspond in shape to projections 70 (See FIGS. 5A, 6B and 6D).

Accordingly, it will be understood that the several, individual, unitary pieces 32-36, 42-46, and 50 may be serially assembled and disassembled within the assembly element or block 12 to provide a challenging puzzle. Since each piece interlocks with and conforms to the shape of at least one adjacent piece, the pieces must be assembled in order beginning with the assembly of either cylinder 30 or 40 first, followed by the insertion of the end pieces from the remaining cylinder.

The present puzzle may include cylinders having cross-sectional shapes or forms other than that of a closed involute as in the preferred embodiment. Of course, the other shapes may result in varying numbers and configurations of the separate puzzle pieces different than that in the preferred embodiment. Further, the present puzzle need not be formed from a solid block of wood or other similar material but may be formed from molded plastic and be either hollow or solid. In either case, if the cross-sectional shape of a closed involute is used as illustrated, the assembly element 12 and individual pieces will have the external outlines and shapes substantially as shown and described above.

DESCRIPTION OF THE METHOD Referring now to FIGS. 1, 2, 12 and 13, the preferred embodiment of the present inventive puzzle may be formed by providing a solid block of wood or other similar material which is easily sawed or cut. The first of the two cylinders 30 and 40 is formed from block 12 by cutting along a rectilinear line extending generally parallel to an edge of the cube 12 between two of the opposing external surfaces lying in planes generally perpendicular to the surface including the rectilinear cutting line. For example, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 12, cylinder 30 may be cut first by using a jigsaw or other saw or cutting instrument, to cut into the block along a rectilinear line 26 generally parallel to surface 16 of the cube. The saw or cutting instrument is used to cut along a curve in the shape of a closed involute as shown on surface 18 in FIGS. 1 and 12. The curve may be previously drawn on surface 18 to serve as a guide. The end of the curve will be seen to end at the point at which the curve was begun, i.e., along rectilinear line 26. Thus, line 26 is the only cut which must be made on the exterior surface of the cube to form the closed involute cylinder.

As shown in FIG. 13, to avoid making such an external cut, one could also bore through the solid block through surfaces 18 and 20 to provide a hole 80 large enough to admit the saw blade 75 or blade of another cutting instrument. The saw blade'could then be inserted through hole 80 as shown and used to cut any desired curve through the block without actually breaking the external surface of the block except along the opposing surfaces 18, 20.

In a manner sinilar to that described above, the second or remaining cylinder may then be cut along a rectilinear line 28 extending generally parallel to surface 18 of the cube 12. The steps followed are exactly similar to that for the first cylinder, namely, cutting along any desired closed curve, preferably a closed involute, and causing the blade to exit along the line 28 where it originally entered. The two cut lines 26 and 28 therefore intersect at point 29 which corresponds to the edge 56 of central piece 50 as shown in FIG. 1. If the cylinders and 40 are cut beginning with lines 26 and 28 as described above, the cuts 26 and 28 may be filled with a filling or adhesive material to secure the portions of the cube on either side of those cuts or lines together to strengthen and rigidify the resulting assembly block.

Accordingly, once the two cylinders have been formed or cut in the above manner, the puzzle is completed and the variously configured pieces may be disassembled from and assembled into the assembly element or block 12 thereby providing a challenging and intersecting puzzle for the operator.

it will now be understood that the present invention provides both a challenging puzzle having numerous interlocking, intricate pieces which may be assembled and disassembled as a test of skill. The puzzle may be manufactured quickly, easily and inexpensively from a singleblock of wood by making merely two cuts about predetermined curves on the block. The assembly block and several pieces are all unitary structures and require no further manufacturing processes to place them in operable form allowing assembly and disassembly of the puzzle.

While one form of the invention has been shown and described, other forms will now be apparent to those skilled in the art. Therefore, it will be understood that the embodiment shown in the drawings and described above is merely for illustrative purposes, and is not intended to limit the scope of the'invention which is defined by the claims which follow.

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are as follows:

1. A puzzle comprising an element having at least two sets of external surfaces; each of said sets including two generally opposing surfaces on generally opposing sides of said element; said element having a plurality of separate pieces slideably received therein; said pieces being variously configured and comprising portions of at least two intersecting cylinders in said element; each of said cylinders extending between a different set of said two sets of two generally opposing surfaces of said element and slidably received in a correspondingly shaped aperture formed within and extending between said opposing surfaces of one of said respective sets; said cylinders having cross sectional areas of the same size and shape when taken along planes perpendicular to the side surfaces of said cylinders and intersecting such that at least one of said pieces forms a portion of both of said cylinders; said one piece being received completely internally of said element and defining two areas having the same size and shape when said one piece is viewed along the longitudinal axes of said two cylinders.

2. The puzzle of claim 1 wherein said element is a cube; the planes including said sets of opposing surfaces being perpendicular to one another.

3. The puzzle of claim 1 wherein said cylinders are right cylinders.

4. The puzzle of claim 3 wherein said right cylinders each have a cross-sectional shape comprising an involute; said cylinders including seven of said separate pieces.

5. The puzzle of claim 1 wherein said respective cylinders each have a cross-sectional shape of an involute when taken parallel to at least one of said respective opposing surfaces.

6. The puzzle of claim 1 wherein the portion of said element remaining after said pieces are removed comprises a unitary, remaining section; said pieces all interlockingly engaging said remaining section when slideably received therein.

7. The puzzle of claim 1 wherein said element is a solid block; said separate pieces each being solid and cut from said block.

8. The puzzle of claim 1 wherein said respective cylinders each have side surfaces and a cross-sectional shape of an involute when taken along a plane which is perpendicular to the side surfaces of the respective cylinder. 

1. A puzzle comprising an element having at least two sets of external surfaces; each of said sets including two generally opposing surfaces on generally opposing sides of said element; said element having a plurality of separate pieces slideably received therein; said pieces being variously configured and comprising portions of at least two intersecting cylinders in said element; each of said cylinders extending between a different set of said two sets of two generally opposing surfaces of said element and slidably received in a correspondingly shaped aperture formed within and extending between said opposing surfaces of one of said respective sets; said cylinders having cross sectional areas of the same size and shape when taken along planes perpendicular to the side surfaces of said cylinders and intersecting such that at least one of said pieces forms a portion of both of said cylinders; said one piece being received completely internally of said element and defining two areas having the same size and shape when said one piece is viewed along the longitudinal axes of said two cylinders.
 2. The puzzle of claim 1 wherein said element is a cube; the planes including said sets of opposing surfaces being perpendicular to one another.
 3. The puzzle of claim 1 wherein said cylinders are right cylinders.
 4. The puzzle of claim 3 wherein said right cylinders each have a cross-sectional shape comprising an involute; said cylinders including seven of said separate pieces.
 5. The puzzle of claim 1 wherein said respective cylinders each have a cross-sectional shape of an involute when taken parallel to at least one of said respective opposing surfaces.
 6. The puzzle of claim 1 wherein the portion of said element remaining after said pieces are removed comprises a unitary, remaining section; said pieces all interlockingly engaging said remaining section when slideably received therein.
 7. The puzzle of claim 1 wherein said element is a solid block; said separate pieces each being solid and cut from said block.
 8. The puzzle of claim 1 wherein said respective cylinders each have side surfaces and a cross-sectional shape of an involute when taken along a plane which is perpendicular to the side surfaces of the respective cylinder. 